No Speed? Boldin's Flying

CHARLES BRICKER ON THE NFL

Mel Kiper, the draft guru, missed on this one, but there's no shame there. Just about everyone, including to a lesser degree the Arizona Cardinals, misjudged Anquan Boldin.

"His speed is a question mark, only running in the 4.7 range," Kiper had said as he sized up the college draft of wide receivers.

"With that said, there's definitely a place at the pro level for a guy like Boldin -- probably as a second or third option in the receiving game."

How laughable is that? The former Florida State receiver from Pahokee has caught 23 passes for 378 yards. Both totals are new highs for an NFL rookie's first three games.

As a barometer, Jerry Rice had nine catches for 196 yards in the first three outings of his rookie season in 1985, and Randy Moss caught 15 passes for 221 yards in his first three NFL games in 1998.

The same questions about Boldin's speed came up in the Cardinals' predraft meetings until receivers coach Tyke Tolbert, who was an assistant at Florida last season, stepped in: "I told them, `Trust me. Do not worry about this man's 40 time. He plays faster than the clock.'

"I've watched him since he was playing in high school in Pahokee. I saw him playing for Florida State when I was an assistant to Terry Bowden at Auburn. I know that after just three games he's wowing people. But nothing he has done surprises me."

Anquan was drafted No. 54 in the second round, passed over by everyone in the first, including the Cards, who took another receiver, Bryant Johnson of Penn State, at No. 17, and defensive end Calvin Pace of Wake Forest at No. 18.

A few weeks ago, Boldin told reporters how his coaches at Pahokee High, where he played quarterback, walked him through coverages, explaining not just where to throw the ball but why to throw it in certain situations and when. He took such quarterbacking wisdom and applied it to receiving.

"I don't know about the learning curve or how fast you're supposed to learn. I just have to tip my hat to the coaches," he said.

Wide receivers and quarterbacks are not supposed to have this sort of instant success because of the complex nature of their positions. It's not like lining up Jevon Kearse or Julius Peppers at defensive end and telling them, "Go get the quarterback."

Boldin caught for 217 yards in his opening game, though of course the Lions are not a good team defensively.

But he came back with eight catches for 62 yards against the Seahawks, and then, on Sunday, had five receptions for 99 yards vs. the Packers.

His speed is functional -- a lot like Rice's.

Like his predecessor at the Cardinals, David Boston, he is an oversized receiver at 6 feet 1 and 218 pounds. He blocks well enough to have put Lions defensive end Robert Porcher on his backside. And his route running is ultra-precise.

What can he still improve on?

"He can do everything a little bit better," Tolbert said. But there are no holes in his game. He runs every route and is particularly effective over the middle, where the catches are more difficult but where there is more opportunity to break for a long gain after the catch.

He is the constant target of quarterback Jeff Blake, who has thrown him an average of 12 passes a game because of Arizona's depleted receiving corps.

Staying in on virtually every offensive down can be wearing, and Boldin has to concentrate in the fourth quarter on making his cuts more precise rather than rounding them off -- a sure sign of fatigue.

Arizona has a wealth of plays designed for Boldin, including passes off reverses. He could also be an emergency quarterback, having stepped in for coach Bobby Bowden in the Sugar Bowl against Georgia.

He throws an extremely tight spiral ("as tight as Blake's," says Tolbert), but, surprisingly, he never grips the ball by the laces. "I've talked to him about that," Tolbert said. "He says he just doesn't feel comfortable with that."

No one is going to try to change him. All they want from Boldin is for him to keep doing what he's doing.

THIRD AND LONG

Three best players in Week 3: Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck of the Seahawks for a 14-point comeback in the fourth quarter vs. the Rams; running back Ricky Williams of the Dolphins for wearing down a physical Bills front seven; receiver Reggie Wayne of the Colts for a breakout game (10 catches, 141 yards, two touchdowns).

Three worst: Running back Warrick Dunn of the Falcons with nine carries and 7 yards against his former teammates, the Buccaneers; quarterback Drew Bledsoe of the Bills, who hasn't completed 50 percent of his passes in his past five trips to Pro Player Stadium; taken as one, the five stiffs on the Saints' line (Wayne Gandy, Kendyl Jacox, Jerry Fontenot, LeCharles Bentley and Victor Riley) who played about 10 levels below their talent as the New Orleans running game was held to 15 carries and 23 yards. ...

How fluid is the NFL? Of the six undefeated teams, only one, the Colts, made the playoffs in 2002, and they lost 41-0 in the wild-card game to the Jets. ...